First Post - Memories
>> Friday, January 06, 2006
I was scrolling through my iTunes this morning, and came across a playlist containing recordings I had imported from audio cassettes made of performances of the State University of New York at Albany University Chorale during 1983 and 1984. At one point in my life, I had a decent (if not terribly powerful) voice and enjoyed singing. I joined the Chorale in my first semester at Albany, and sang Carl Orff's popular Carmina Burana song cycle. Our leader, David Janower, was nothing if not ambitious, and we were a pretty talented group.
I remember how excited I was about that performance - and how important it was to have a tape made of it. I "borrowed" my sister's compact tape recorder (a pretty decent unit that I think I still have somewhere) and spent about $10.00 on a Memorex 120 minute audio tape. Since we were performing the whole piece, which ran about 61 minutes, without intermission, I needed a tape long enough to record it in one shot.
It is amazing how readily the memory of that first performance came back to me - even how the percussionist knocked over the cymbals during the first notes of "O, Fortuna". For an "open" group (no auditions required), we were pretty professional, and didn't miss a beat. Unfortunately, the recording missed the first few notes (and the crash) - the O, Fortuna got lost in the few seconds of lead-in, and the recording begins with "velut luna, status variabilis".
Carmina Burana remains one of my favorite pieces of music, I have several recordings of it, and I must say that this amateur performance (accompanied only by a piano and a percussionist) holds it's own musically. Our intonation and diction were excellent, it comes through even on a 22 year old monaural recording.
Listening to this old recording brings me back to a point in my life where I was just beginning to feel comfortable with myself. I was 17 years old, and I knew I'd never be popular or a party girl, but I was making friends and having a pretty good time. I can see where that girl was heading though - double-loading classes, too many hours in the library, being too quick to get on to the next achievement and not enough time having fun.
I'd like to go back for an hour and sit down with my 17 year old self and tell her to slow down and savor those years - they aren't going to come again.
I remember how excited I was about that performance - and how important it was to have a tape made of it. I "borrowed" my sister's compact tape recorder (a pretty decent unit that I think I still have somewhere) and spent about $10.00 on a Memorex 120 minute audio tape. Since we were performing the whole piece, which ran about 61 minutes, without intermission, I needed a tape long enough to record it in one shot.
It is amazing how readily the memory of that first performance came back to me - even how the percussionist knocked over the cymbals during the first notes of "O, Fortuna". For an "open" group (no auditions required), we were pretty professional, and didn't miss a beat. Unfortunately, the recording missed the first few notes (and the crash) - the O, Fortuna got lost in the few seconds of lead-in, and the recording begins with "velut luna, status variabilis".
Carmina Burana remains one of my favorite pieces of music, I have several recordings of it, and I must say that this amateur performance (accompanied only by a piano and a percussionist) holds it's own musically. Our intonation and diction were excellent, it comes through even on a 22 year old monaural recording.
Listening to this old recording brings me back to a point in my life where I was just beginning to feel comfortable with myself. I was 17 years old, and I knew I'd never be popular or a party girl, but I was making friends and having a pretty good time. I can see where that girl was heading though - double-loading classes, too many hours in the library, being too quick to get on to the next achievement and not enough time having fun.
I'd like to go back for an hour and sit down with my 17 year old self and tell her to slow down and savor those years - they aren't going to come again.
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